INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE/FIRST-TIME VIZSLA OWNERS
& Questions to Ask Breeders
By Mary K. Chelton, April, 2002
Owned and loved by three Vizslas
About the Breed:
The Hungarian or Magyar Vizsla represents one of
the best in sporting dogs and loyal companions and has a strong
claim to being one of the smallest of the all-round pointer-retriever
breeds. His size is one of the Vizsla's most attractive characteristics
and through the centuries he has held a unique position for a
sporting dog-that of household companion and family dog. The Vizsla
is not content to be "put in the kennel with the dogs" after the
hunt and only reaches his fullest capacity when he is a member
of the family he serves.
The Vizsla started arriving in the United States
at the close of World War II. As interest in and devotion to the
breed began to increase, owners formed the Vizsla Club of America
in order to gain AKC recognition. As a result of registering foundation
stock with the AKC, Vizsla owners were able to obtain official
recognition in 1960 and the Vizsla became the 115th breed recognized
by the American Kennel Club.
The Official Standard of the Vizsla Breed has been
developed and adopted by the Vizsla Club of America and its members.
This information should be used as a guideline for understanding
and appreciating the breed.
Exercise Needs:
Tired puppies are much less trouble
than puppies who are full of the devil.
Regular daily exercise, off the lead so your pup
can tear around, will help a great deal in keeping your house
and your life more puppy-proofed.
BEWARE! Vizsla pups NEED this exercise-without it
they will use your house as a race track and actively look for
trouble! Start looking now for parks and fields where you can
run your pup. For the next few years you will be spending an hour
a day minimum (!) tiring out your little darling, so find a variety
of places to exercise off leash. You will be out, rain or shine,
for at least one major off-leash run a day, SO BE WARNED!!! A
small fenced-in backyard is insufficient space for a Vizsla to
really stretch. In young puppies, moderation is advisable because
of the risk of damaging growth plates in their legs. Adolescent
puppies are another story!
It is difficult to raise a puppy when no one is
home during the day, and housetraining becomes much more difficult.
Puppies need a midday meal and to potty frequently you’re your
pup will be home alone for extended periods of time, you will
need to have a plan for the pup's care, such as using neighbors,
friends, relatives, paid pet sitters or puppy day care. Many breeders
recommend crating your puppy when the pup is not able to be supervised
for both the safety of the puppy and of your house; however, most
agree that puppies should not be crated for more than a few hours
at a time.
Training Needs:
Vizslas are very smart and trainable, and eager
to please. In fact, they need training to be good companions so
all that mischievous energy gets properly channeled. They are
sensitive dogs who usually do not respond well to harsh training
methods, and since they mature slowly, they often have short attention
spans and get bored easily during training sessions when young.
The rule of thumb is not to let a puppy do anything you wouldn't
want a 45-65 lb. adult dog to do, and never to continue with a
trainer whose methods make you uncomfortable. See the list of
books at the end of these sheets for more information.
Vizslas and Children:
Vizslas are generally very good with children;
HOWEVER, NO PRESCHOOL CHILD SHOULD BE LEFT UNSUPERVISED WITH ANY
DOG, and all children should be taught how to interact with the
dog. Puppies tend to mouth and bite small children, steal their
toys and knock them down, and you and the children need to learn
how to handle these situations calmly. The immediate reaction
of many children is to start screaming and running, which just
exacerbates the problem. Children should also be taught that the
puppy's crate is off limits; it is the puppy's safe haven.
Velcro Dogs:
Vizslas are NOT dogs that can just be left
in a yard. They were bred to be affectionate house dogs as well
as hunting and field dogs, and they want to be WITH their people.
They will follow you from room to room, including the bathroom,
sleep next to you or at your feet, and lay their heads in your
lap at every opportunity, etc. One friend has said that once you
have a Vizsla, you will never go to bathroom alone again. Left
to their own devices without human companionship, they will become
lonely, bored and destructive. People who expect dogs to raise
themselves by themselves will not like this breed.
Shedding:
Vizslas do shed, but unless you are allergic or
obsessive, it sort of blends in with the decor. You can control
this by rubbing the dog with a non-cotton sweater to pick up loose
hairs.
Where to Find Reputable Breeders:
* Vizsla Club of America contacts:
Florence Duggan at (908) 789-0774; e-mail: FloPete@aol.com
Linda Promaulayko; email: brylynns@eclipse.net
Questions Breeders May Ask You:
* Where did you hear about Vizslas? * What your
expectations are for the dog? * Why do you want a Vizsla, as opposed
to another breed or a mixed breed? * Prior experience with dogs/Vizslas,
especially training them, and whether you've ever raised a puppy
before and if so, what breed? * How many people live in your home,
especially children and their ages? * What is your lifestyle like,
and how the dog will fit into it, especially during the next 2
years, and is someone home during the day? * What particular characteristics
do you want in your puppy/dog, including personality and gender
and why? * Are there other pets in the house? * Do you intend
to spay/neuter or breed your dog? * To describe where the puppy
will live, sleep and stay when you are away. * What kind of dwelling
you live in, if you have a fenced yard and if not, where the dog
will exercise? * What are the activity level/exercise requirements
you have for your dog and how do you plan to exercise your puppy?
* Are you are interested in showing your dog, or co-owning with
the breeder until show qualities are or are not obvious? * What
are your current veterinarian's name and phone number?
Questions to Ask Breeders:
* How is the temperament of the sire and dam? *
What were you striving for as part of your breeding program? *
Do you personally know other dogs in the pedigree of the puppies?
* Are you affiliated with any regional or national Vizsla clubs?
* How do you plan your litters and rate the puppies? * Are you
going to keep a pup? If not, why not? * What are the AKC registered
names and titles of the sire and dam? * Do you require me to sign
a contract, and if so, would you share a copy and explain it to
me? * Do you require co-ownership of puppies, and if so, why?
* Do you offer a health/temperament guarantee with your puppies?
What does it entail? * How long have you been in the breed? *
Are you willing to answer my questions after I take the dog home?
* Do you require a spay/neuter or limited registration on pets?
* Will you assist me if I cannot keep the dog? * When can I visit
my new puppy? * What veterinary care will the puppy have had when
I take it home? * What paperwork will I receive with my puppy?
Puppy Prices and Issues:
Puppy prices vary. (On the East and West coasts
between $1000 to $2000 depending on the breeder and the pedigrees
involved; prices are slightly lower in the Midwest) A higher price
does not necessarily equate with better quality; many responsible
breeders are working to keep prices reasonable in an effort to
discourage puppy mill breeders (See www.nopuppymills.com
for more information)
Ask the breeder of any litter you consider about
the goals of their breeding program; ask why they paired the parents
of this litter and about titles the parents have earned. Make
sure that both parents have been cleared of hip dysplasia by the
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) registry. Get a copy of
OFA numbers and ratings for both parents.
When you acquire a puppy from a reputable breeder,
you also acquire support throughout the lifetime of your dog.
Be suspicious of any "bargain" prices for this breed, especially
if "AKC registered" or "AKC papers" is part of the selling pitch,
without show or field titles and OFA numbers.
Avoid purchasing a puppy from a breeder with whom
you do not have good rapport and avoid puppy mill, pet store and
Internet purchases. Sometimes, breeders may seem "snooty" to first
time owners, and you should not purchase a puppy from someone
with whom you feel you can have no rapport.
Because of the special needs of this breed and
because of their own breeding objectives, many breeders may seem
reluctant to take a chance on a newcomer, especially one who only
wants a pet who won't even consider doing any competitive events
with the dog. You need to "sell" yourself to the breeder as much
or more than you need to be able to pay for a Vizsla puppy, and
you need to keep an open mind about what you might do with the
dog in the future with the breeder's help and encouragement.
You are buying more than a dog. You are buying
a carefully planned breeding, a pedigree, and a lifetime relationship
with a breeder. Remember that Jack Sharkey, a retiree, only wanted
a pet and his Vizsla Chartay is now the first quintuple champion
in AKC's 116-year history.
Breed Rescue and Contacts:
For a variety of reasons, some people are not able
to keep their Vizslas, and these dogs become available for rehoming.
Sometimes, they have had no prior training, or they have been
abused and need major caring and rehabilitation. Rarely are they
puppies. Potential rescue owners are screened as carefully as
new puppy buyers, and because of the unique needs and challenging
demands of Vizslas, preference in rescue situations is usually,
but not always, given to persons who have already raised a Vizsla
and know what is involved.
THIS IS NOT AN ALTERNATE ROUTE TO A CHEAPER
DOG!
Usually, prospective owners are asked to pay transportation
charges for a dog and to make a contribution to breed rescue to
further the work of rescue for other dogs.
* VCA National Breed Rescue Coordinator: Steve
Shlyen at (610) 294-8020; e-mail rheing@epix.net.
Further Sources of Information:
* The Vizsla Club of America sells an information
packet for prospective Vizsla owners for $5.00.
* Books (borrow from your local library,
buy in a bookstore; or get online from www.dogwise.com)
Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete (also
has an accompanying video)
Childproofing Your Dog by Brian Kilcommons
Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson
Dog-Friendly Dog Training by Andrea Arden
Dog Problems: The Gentle Modern Cure by David Weston & Ruth
Ross
Dog Training for Kids by Carol Lea Benjamin
Mother Knows Best: The Natural Way to Train Your Dog by Carol
Lea Benjamin
Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey Sirius
Puppy Training by Ian Dunbar
Versatile Vizsla by Marion Coffman
Vizsla by Bernard C. Boggs 2nd ed.
* Websites
Vizsla Club of America: clubs.akc.org/vizsla/
Ingle and Mead's Vizsla Encyclopedia: www.vizsladogs.com
Central Wisconsin Vizsla Club: www.execpc.com/~rglazier/cwvc.htm
Vizsla Web Ring: www.blayne.com
American Kennel Club: www.akc.org
AKC Vizsla Pedigree Information: www.vizsla.org
* Internet Discussion list
VizslaTalk at http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/Vizsla
Vizslas are a wonderful breed, but they are not
for everyone. Take the time to research thoroughly before buying
a puppy. Take the time to find a responsible, concerned breeder.
You will find that it is time well spent.
Mary K. Chelton, April, 2002
35 Mercury Ave., East Patchogue, NY 11772 Phone: (631) 286-4255;
Email: mchelton@optonline.net
